Santa Monica and LA Residents Unite In Opposition to Massive Bergamot "Village" Traffic and Environmental Impacts
March 2012
Over 45 community leaders from Santa Monica and the Westside held a press conference yesterday to criticize the draft environmental impact report (DEIR) for the huge Hines/Bergamot project at 26th and Olympic. The massive mega-office project, proposed without an area plan for the surrounding 140-acre area, is a throw back to the bad city planning of the 1980s. Its traffic impacts are "not mitigatable" according to the DEIR.
This project, and the other six projects proposed in the area, would generate over 24,000 new daily car trips in an already gridlocked area. As a region, the City of Los Angeles and 17 neighborhood associations in LA and SM joined ranks to form an alliance to oppose this project and any other large projects in the Bergamot area until a regional plan and a comprehensive environmental review is done. In addition, over 350 emails have been sent to the City by residents objecting to the environmental impacts disclosed in the DEIR and asking the City to engage in a regional planning process to keep our neighborhoods bearable.
"Santa Monica already has over 8,000,000 square feet of regional office space-- we can't afford to build 15% more of office space in this gridlocked part of the Westside" said Diana Gordon, SMCLC's co-chair. "We demand good regional planning to reduce this project's size and impacts. Having a cumulative regional plan is the only way we can protect our neighborhoods and quality of life."
LA Groups and Neighborhood Associations:
CD11 Transportation Advisory Committee (Bill Rosendahl), DEIR Comments
WRAC – Westside Regional Alliance of Councils, DEIR Comments
Brentwood Community Council, DEIR Comments
Mar Vista Community Council, DEIR Comments
Pacific Palisades Community Council, DEIR Comments
Palms Neighborhood Council, DEIR Comments
South Brentwood Residents' Association, DEIR Comments
Venice Neighborhood Council, DEIR Comments
West LA Neighborhood Counci, DEIR Commentsl
Westside Neighborhood Council, DEIR Comments
Westwood Community Council, DEIR Comments
Westwood Neighborhood Council, DEIR Comments
Westwood South of Santa Monica Blvd HOA, DEIR Comments
SM Groups and Neighborhood Associations:
Friends of Sunset Park ("FOSP"), DEIR Comments
Mid-City Neighborhood Association
Northeast Neighbors Association, DEIR Comments
North of Montana Association ("NOMA"), DEIR Comments
Ocean Park Association ("OPA"), DEIR Comments
Pico Neighborhood Association ("PNA"), DEIR Comments
Santa Monica Coalition for a Livable City ("SMCLC"), DEIR Comments
Wilshire/Montana Neighborhood Coalition ("WILMONT"), DEIR Comments
Click here to read SMCLC's extensive Comment Letter on the project's unacceptable impacts (pdf)
Click here to read LA Department of Transportation (DOT) letter approved by the LA City Council and sent to the City of Santa Monica, demanding substantive changes to the project and emphasizing the need for the City of LA to be involved in the decision making process.
Links to items in the local press regarding the press conference and the SM/LA coalition against the project:
"
Santa Monica: Opposition to Bergamot Village project grows to nearby communities"
The Argonaut, March 22, 2012
"
LA Residents Join Santa Monica Residents to Demand End to Gridlock"
Santa Monica Dispatch, March 17, 2012
"
Bergamot Development Opponents Warn of Citywide Traffic Gridlock"
Santa Monica Mirror, March 16, 2012
"
Santa Monica Transit Village Fight Crosses City Borders"
Pacific Palisades Patch, March 13, 2012
"
Santa Monica Transit Village Fight Crosses City Borders"
Venice Patch, March 13, 2012
"
Santa Monica Transit Village Fight Moves into Brentwood"
Brentwood Patch, March 13, 2012
"
Bergamot Transit Village NIMBYs Now Include LA City Council"
LA Curbed, March, 2012
"
Santa Monica Coalition Fires Legal Missive Opposing Project"
The LookOut News, March 13, 2012
"
Transit Village Fight Crosses City Borders"
Santa Monica Patch, March 12, 2012
"
Residents Want a Reduced Bergamot Transit Village"
Santa Monica Daily Press, March 12, 2012
"
Opposition to Santa Monica Transit Project Grows"
The LookOut News, March 12, 2012
"
Will the Westside Plan to Create a Westside Plan?"
CityWatch, March 1, 2012
